UNSUSPECTED PRIMARY TUBAL CARCINOMA DURING OPERATIVE LAPAROSCOPY

Objective. To evaluate the possible risk of dealing with an unsuspecte d primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube during laparoscopic surgery. Methods. We performed a countrywide sun ey in Austria concerning lapa roscopic procedures in cases of primary carcinoma of the tube. The que stionnaire consisted of questions regarding the pre-, intra-, and post operative management. Results. Of 18,435 laparoscopies in cases of an adnexal mass, 5 cases were reported, when laparoscopy was performed on an unsuspected carcinoma of the tube. Therefore, the risk of detectin g this malignancy during laparoscopy after preoperative evaluation is 1 in 3687 cases (0.028%). Conclusion. The risk of encountering an unsu spected primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube during laparoscopy in Austria is an extremely rare situation. In case of a malignancy, a sta ging or debulking laparotomy should be performed immediately or as soo n as possible. (C) 1998 Academic Press.